4-6-9 Ethical Concerns

Question 1

What is “bioethics”?

Answer 1

The study of the ethical implications of biological research and applications. It involves examining the benefits and risks of biotechnology.

Question 2

What are some benefits of biotechnology?

Answer 2

Crops: Better taste; increased nutrient; higher yields and stress tolerance; improved resistance to diseases, pests, and herbicides.

Animals: Better yields of meat, eggs, and milk; increased hardiness and feed efficiency. Better health.

Environment: Conservation of soil, water, and energy; natural waste managment; effective pollution clean-up and prevention.

Society: More food for growing populations

Question 3

What are the risks of biotechnology?

Answer 3

Safety:
Transfer of antibiotic resistance markers resulting in antibiotic resistant bacteria; unintended transfer of transgenes through cross-pollination; loss of animal and plant diversity.

Access and intellectual property:
Domination of food production by a few companies; increasing dependence on industrialized nations by developing countries.

Ethics:
Violation of natural organisms’ intrinsic values; tampering with nature by mixing genes among species; stress for animals

Society:
New advances may be skewed to interests of rich countries